


Goodnight

by mermaidpen



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Action & Romance, Angst and Tragedy, F/M, attack on titan - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-13 02:14:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29394621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mermaidpen/pseuds/mermaidpen
Summary: An evening expedition in the forest outside the Walls takes a nasty turn, and no one was ready for it.Not even humanity's strongest soldier.Levi Ackerman X Reader OneshotI do not own Attack On Titan. Everything belongs to the great Hajime Isayama, whom I hope would spare us from greater heartache due to this series 😃.
Relationships: Levi Ackerman & Reader
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	Goodnight

_A.N_ _: MY FIRST AOT FANFIC!_ _This fic timeline is a year before Eren and his friends graduated_ _, so they're not in the Scout Regiment yet._

_Every detail is to be decided by you except the hair, hair length, and height. Trust me with this._

_I apologize in advance._

•|•

The sun had just set, and the skies dark as the moon didn't appear.

The Scout Regiment had just departed from the Walls and were now riding their horses at full speed heading for the forest approximately thirty kilometers away. Soldiers held torches and their hoods covering their heads as they sped on while following the strategic formation by Commander Erwin Smith.

(Y/n) (L/n), Vice-Captain of the Scout Regiment, was off her formation as usual, which was definitely a pain for Captain Levi Ackerman.

"(Y/n)! Stop straying off your position!" Levi scolded, to which she gave him a disagreeing whine.

"I can't help it! Every expedition keeps me excited, I can't contain myself!" She replied, flashing a cheeky smile.

Hange finds the Vice-Captain cute with her personality and would always be amused with how not even Levi could keep her disciplined. Seemed like the Captain has a soft side towards her than she knows.

She recently discovered that (Y/n) had a crush on him, and she kept it to herself, while always trying to tease her about it.

Hange steered closer to (Y/n) and greeted her. "So do you think we'll get to see titans tonight?"

"If you're talking about the possibility of those special ones that get to move despite the night, as much as I'd love to, I want this expedition to be safe and successful," She replied. Despite her similar titan craze with Hange, she wasn't as reckless as she is.

Poor Moblit, always looking out for her.

"But think of it! Proving the existence of those kinds could be another major discovery for mankind!" Hange exclaimed. "If we actually find one, it'll be a ground breaking discovery!"

"The forest is up ahead!" A soldier suddenly called out.

"(Y/n), you better get back to your formation, else Shorty will get mad at you," Hange told her, to which she immediately obliged.

Erwin commanded, "All soldiers, prepare to halt!"

"We're here," (Y/n) muttered.

Suddenly, her positivity faded and was replaced with an ominous feeling that sent chills up her spine.

"(Y/n), is something wrong?" She saw Levi, with his horse, look up at her and she shook her head sideways.

"Then hurry up, you'll prolong the mission," He walked away towards the gathering soldiers.

~•~

The soldiers quietly entered the forest, on board their horses except for the Captain and Vice-Captain. This was done for (Y/n) to be able to observe the path. Her heightened senses and instincts allow her to immediately spot signs of danger, which have helped reduce casualties. Commander Erwin led the way followed by Miche, Hange, Moblit, Levi, (Y/n), Squad Levi, and the rest of the soldiers.

Had their lamps been raised near their faces, it wouldn't be hard to miss the sullen look on their faces as they're overwhelmed by fear. Yet their leaders remained calm and alert, walking proudly in the front line.

(Y/n) was beside Levi, carrying the lamp for them both. Despite being a tad taller than the Captain, it didn't really bother him to have her right by his side.

"Walk faster, Shitty four-eyes," Levi coldly told Hange. "You're slowing us all down."

"Tell that to Erwin, not to me," She retorted. "Besides, walking faster creates too much noise. What if we suddenly stumble upon-"

"A Titan!" One of the soldiers at the middle right side suddenly gasped, nearly letting go of his lamp. It was sitting below a tree, and its eyes were looking droopy, around 7 meters.

"No way, I didn't even see it," (Y/n) said as she stared at it.

"Don't worry, it's one of those kinds that couldn't move at night," Hange cheerfully said, calming the soldiers down. "Ignore it and move forward, we're nearly in the center of the forest."

The soldiers did as they were told, and moved on silently, averting their gaze from the creature.

(Y/n) suddenly stumbled over a rock and nearly tripped, but luckily, Levi caught her arm.

"T-Thank you, Levi. That was close," She awkwardly smiled.

"Tsk. Watch your step, and hold that lamp properly as you do," He replied.

"Right," She straightened herself up, but then something caught her eye.

"Wait," She called, and then knelt down. The troop stopped as she stared at a large footprint right below her.

"Titan tracks," She fearfully gasped, looking up to Erwin. "And Commander, they're still warm."

An ominous chill ran up their backs at her statement. It suddenly felt like they were surrounded.

Miche perked up and sniffed around when his expression darkened.

"They're near."

"I-It could only be those kinds who couldn't move at night, right?" Petra suggested.

"Had there been titans that can move despite the lack of sunlight, they would've ambushed us as of now," Eld added, sweatdropping at Hange's excessive breathing of excitement as she muttered stuff to herself.

"Well, you guys do have a point. Unless-" (Y/n) trailed off.

"Unless what?" Erwin asked.

"Unless there are those that could move at night and are waiting to corner us," She finished with a grim look.

"Titans aren't intellectual to do such a thing," Oruo retorted. "You know that as much as we all do."

"I'm not saying I'm su-"

"That's enough," Erwin commanded, and the soldiers stood by silently. "(Y/n), you and Miche head off ahead of us. Your sharp instincts are best for inspecting what we couldn't notice."

(Y/n) quickly handed her lamp to Levi and placed her fist over her chest for a salute.

"Yes sir!"

...

Effectively maneuvering through the forest despite the low vision they had, Miche and (Y/n) flew through with their ODM gears, occasionally spotting a few inactive titans who pose no threat.

"Ne, Miche," (Y/n) began. "To be honest, I had a bad feeling about this place before we got here."

"Same here as well," He replied, his eyes looking forward. "We only saw a few inactive Titans lately, but the scents I picked up indicate that there are more. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that this whole forest is full of Titans."

She gulped as she thought of it, it would be bad had they decided to move at daylight.

"Then it'll be a real disaster if they end up moving. Although landscapes like these are an advantage to us, not everyone has excellent vision," She soon jumped down to the ground and ran by foot, arriving at a very large clearing. Miche flew down beside her, looking around, sniffing the air.

"(Y/n), can you sense any titans nearby?" He asked. "I could only pick up a faint smell."

She ventured further across the clearing, lighting up a small spare lamp she brought with them. As she walked along, she tripped over a deepened spot, surprising Miche.

"Are you al-" He was caught off by what she saw. (Y/n) sat up and angrily muttered. "I swear, I'm never this clumsy in my life!"

"(Y/n), titan tracks," Miche pointed to where she sat, and that was when she noticed the tracks that head to where they came.

"It's not warm, so it might—" She gasped. None of them noticed the possibility that they might've missed titan tracks on the way because they were in mid-air with their gear.

"This is absurd. Didn't you see a footprint facing this way forward? So this..." He trailed off.

"Check the area, we need to find more and get a good idea of where they are!" She stood up and ran to the opposite side of where Miche went, immediately spotting tracks that led to a far side away from the forest's main entrance.

"I found more tracks!" Both said simultaneously, before (Y/n) continued. "It was on a far side from the main path, and following it would be too dangerous I believe. We can't get too far from the rest."

"Some trees were broken, indicating they probably crashed through them in a hurry," Miche informed.

"You don't think...We attracted them?" She fearfully said.

"We left at night, there's no way they would be awake at this hour," He argued. "Besides, you would hear them if they moved when we arrived."

"We still don't know much about them! Hange and I have had this theory recently, about Titans being able to move without sunlight. If it were the case..." She trailed off, looking at the forest path.

_This is a bad time to confirm that theory._

"Titans are attracted to concentrated groups of people right?"

"Come to think of it, the path was quite narrow, so we were gathered closer together-!" Miche's eyes widened in realization, but (Y/n) was already running.

"Miche, we need to go back!" She hurriedly shot her cables and blasted off, Miche soon catching up to her. "They're in trouble!"

A pained yell made them froze momentarily. The ground shook violently and suddenly, both soon heard thundering gallops, horses running past them with the scouts riding.

"The Titans have awoken!" One of the soldiers screamed when they saw Miche and (Y/n). Soon enough, some titans crashed through the side of the path, (Y/n) putting her arm over her face to shield her from the flying debris. One of the titans fell down beside them, its body started to evaporate as a soldier landed on its back

"Levi!" She ran over to him.

"They got two soldiers before we could react. Shit, I didn't expect them to wake up," He jumped off the titan.

"Neither did I!" An excited Hange landed beside the two, her thrilled expression making it look like she was in a drunken stupor. She harshly grabbed (Y/n)'s shoulders and shook them wildly. "WE DID IT! WE CONFIRMED THEIR EXISTENCE! NOW WE CAN–"

"Hange!" Levi snarled. "Save the shitty chatter for later! We're all in danger!"

"What exactly happened back there?" She asked them. Levi narrowed his eyes as he replied. "They came at us from the back." He then rushed off to join the others in the battle.

"As a result, we got chased and ended up heading forward," Hange added, glancing at the clearing and saw that the soldiers started fighting the Titans.

"No way. That would mean they went around where the soldiers are through the forest and intentionally cornered us? That's impossible for those brainless fuckers!" She exclaimed.

"Did Erwin give out any orders?" Miche asked her.

"He didn't. Some were attacking us so we moved by initiative," Hange replied.

"Let's go to the Commander for proper orders!" She dashed towards Erwin, who was already talking to Levi and his squad. Erwin spared a short glance to her before commanding, "Levi, take (Y/n) and your squad to cover the right side!"

"Yes sir!" Everyone went off as he continued giving commands.

"It's too dark to maneuver around!" Gunther complained. "Carrying the lamps around while fighting is dangerous too."

(Y/n) retracted her cables and jumped down onto the ground. Some of the soldiers were waving their lamps around, some already getting eaten because they couldn't clearly see.

"Burn the trees!" She yelled, running over to a small one and throwing the lamp on its trunk. It shattered and the oil splattered, soon igniting into flames which quickly spread out, the flames lighting up the area near it.

"Light up separate trees that are far apart! We don't wanna trap ourselves in this forest after the fight!"

Other soldiers were quick enough to obey, choosing to light up trees that grew apart from others, and the whole area soon brightened up by the blazing trees.

Levi smirked, impressed at what she did, now beginning his titan-killing spree, his squad following.

There were quite an awful lot, though they were lucky enough that they're only Pure Titans. Dealing with an aberrant in this setup is fatal.

(Y/n) tightly gripped her blades and shot off her cables, the hooks digging into the back of an 8-meter class, swinging her arms and cutting off the nape with experienced precision.

She passed by Petra and Oruo flying off to her opposite direction, slicing the fingers off one that tried to catch her.

"Thanks!" She continued her attacks, bringing down Titans to the ground.

She spotted Levi ahead of her, dealing with three at once who flailed their heavy arms around trying to catch him.

"You should've stayed sleeping, disgusting pieces of shit," Levi killed off the two and shot his hooks onto the tallest one left.

(Y/n) flew down and sliced one titan's toes before flying back up again to cut off its nape. Another one behind her tried to catch her with its hands, but she flipped her body backwards and dug her blades on its fingers, the creature letting out a yell.

She killed it before facing the tallest one she had met so far, a 15-meter class. Its wide eyes were following her movements, while its unusually large hands were up in the air and swung them around, trying to hit her.

"Woah, close enough!" She dodged its hands and sliced off its eyes to blind it.

This was the biggest mistake she made.

For when she blinded it, it sorta panicked and ran around flailing its large hands.

"Wha-Oi wait! Get back here!" She sped off and used a bit more gas than she regularly did to push her.

She barely got her cables to reach its skin, but they pierced through, and she quickly sliced off its nape. However, the titan moved its arms too strongly that even though it was defeated, the excessive force remained which made the arm swing towards a person.

It was about to hit Levi.

Everything went slowmo to (Y/n)'s perspective.

Despite her trust on his reflexes, she froze as she anticipated him to move away. However, his back was facing her as he just slashed off the nape of a 10-meter class.

No, he's too occupied to notice!

"WATCH OUT!" She cried, but it was too late. Levi was struck forcefully by the titan's hand, blasting him off through the trees, wood smashed to bits and splinters flying. He got pierced through a thick branch that went through his stomach.

"LEVIIII!" (Y/n) yelled out in horror.

Levi was dazed, his vision spinning, and a loud ringing in his ear deafened him. When he finally took a deep breath, he realized the damage his body dealt from that hit as he now shuddered in pain.

(Y/n) hurriedly flew towards him, avoiding the desperate grasps of titans swinging their arms in an attempt to catch her. One actually managed to hold her cables and the inertia threw her off. She angrily dug her blades into its hands and cut it off. She perched at a branch beside Levi and was momentarily stunned at the severe damage he took.

"Levi!" She gasped, frantically thinking of how she could get him out there. The fact that Levi wasn't even trying to hide his pain proved how agonizing it is for him right now. She noticed that there was still space from the trunk that she can slice off to get Levi off.

Levi was in so much pain that he wanted to give in to how light-headed he felt right now. If passing out right there would numb the pain then he'd gladly succumb to it.

"Levi, grab my hand," (Y/n) reached out. Levi turned his head, (Y/n)'s chest clenching at the sight of Levi's pained face, he took her hand which was her cue. "Brace yourself," She gritted her teeth as she used her blade to slice off the branch. Before Levi could fall, she quickly jumped off the branch, scooping him, hearing the small grunt he let out at the impact of their bodies meeting, and shot her hooks away to another tree, where she used all her might to avoid tumbling down in her landing.

(Y/n) gently set Levi down on the ground, blood from the large wound immediately pooling down around him. She could feel the sticky, warm sensation seeping into her pants as she kneeled right beside him. His eyes were closed, assuming he passed out while (Y/n) tried to get them below ground.

Or what if already...

"No, no..." She trailed off, fearing the absolute worst. Trembling, she lifted the upper part of his body as she sucked a lungful of air.

"SOMEONE HELP!" She desperately cried, before cradling his body and protectively wrapped her arms around his shoulders. 

"Levi, Levi! Stay with me, hey!" She repetitively tapped his face. Levi let out a pained moan and his steel eyes flickered open.

"(Y-Y/n)?" He muttered.

"Oh, thank God," She sighed with relief. "Don't talk, save your strength. I'll get help," She hushed.

While she was about to grab her flare guns, the ground rumbled as a titan made its way to them. Its sinister smile angered (Y/n) as she glared at it.

"The fuck are you smiling for?!" She growled. After a mental argument as to whether it would be fine to momentarily leave him vulnerable, she gently set down Levi in a position that wouldn't inflict too much pain. Taking off her cape, she draped it over his body and made sure that he'd be safe.

_Levi couldn't remember when was the last time he actually had a good night's rest. With his insomnia attacking him like it always did, he dropped the idea of trying to go back to sleep and draped a thick black coat over his shoulders and got out of his room, taking a walk around the place._

_Planning to do some stargazing instead, he made his way to the best spot for stargazing; the roof._

_However that night, he wasn't the only one thinking of doing so._

_Because he saw (Y/n) sitting alone, her head up in the dark sky, a wide smile on her face. Before he could even say something, she beat him to it._

_"Can't sleep again, I see?" She slightly turned her head to face him._

_Levi scoffed, yet proceeded to sit beside her._

_"Your instincts are too sharp, it's creepy," He replied._

_"Would you say the same to Miche who literally_ _'smells'_ _everything?"_

_Levi just shrugged off her question and gazed upon the stars. Due to the new moon, they're brighter than ever and seemed so endless in numbers._

_(Y/n) looked on at her captain, spotting signs of stress as clear as day. She knew about his insomnia but didn't really like it when he chose not to do anything about it._

_After a long mental debate as to whether she should speak up about the issue or not, she decided to address him._

_"Levi, you really should get some sleep, you know," She suggested,_ _half-expecting_ _him to throw off the statement. "I know you got used to it, but it's not healthy for yourself to keep up with this habit of yours."_

_"I know my needs, (Y/n)," He coldly replied._

_(Y/n) immediately felt a wave of regret on bringing it up, but she shook it off and scooted closer to him._

_"I know you do, but Levi, we could do something about it," She replied. This has been the first time she tried to pursue Levi to do something that he's not as willing to cooperate with._

_"Can I just watch the stars in peace, (Y/n)? As I said, I know my body's limits and state. I've tried everything I can to deal with it but it didn't work," Levi said in an annoyed tone._

_But (Y/n) wasn't gonna give up that easily._

_"I bet you haven't tried_ **_this_ ** _one method," She said with a sly smirk that actually got Levi's interest._

_"What?" He asked._

_..._

_"Get the hell out! No way am I sleeping with you here!" Levi_ _half-yelled_ _half-whispered_ _, respecting the fact that only the two of them are awake at the hour._

_(Y/n)_ _had a playful grin on her face despite getting yelled at by her cranky captain._

_Apparently, she suggested having him sleep as she stays by his side, offering comfort and creating a peaceful, relaxed mood._

_Which, however, his pride would hardly let him._

_"I'm not gonna do anything shady," (Y/n) huffed. "I just want you to get some proper sleep."_

_"That stupid grin on your face says otherwise," He snarled._

_"_ _Wha_ _-I'm_ _just amused at how I predicted this would happen," She snickered, but a pillow flew to her face, the force sending her falling backward._

_"Levi!" She angrily huffed. The man sat down on the edge of his bed, sighing as he ran a hand over his raven hair._ _In all honesty, he wouldn't mind, he trusts her that much, but the thoughts of her seeing him at his most vulnerable state bothered him._

_"I promise, if it doesn't put you to sleep, I will never bother you about it again," She raised a hand._

_Levi raised a brow._

_"I promise," She repeated._

_Well, if it would work, it might save him from reoccurring nightmares, so for the first time, he decided to loosen up._

_"Fine," He sighed, hearing her congratulate herself._

_"Okay, so uh...Lay down on your bed, and—just close your eyes and try to fall asleep–"_

_"Get out," He stood up, but she held him back. "No no no wait! You didn't even let me finish yet!"_

_"Tsk," He eventually lay down, and did as he was told._

_Moments later, he felt her hands brush through his hair, in oh so gentle movements, sending tingles down his spine._

_"Is this your stupid idea of sending me to sleep?" Levi spat out half-_ _heartedly_ _. (Y/n) just chuckled and shook her head. "Just relax. My mom used to do this to me when I was a kid, and it never failed to relax me."_

_"Hmm," He replied, soon actually feeling sleepier._

_Before he fully fell asleep, he heard a soft and beautiful tune._

_..._

_"I knew it would work," (Y/n) proudly whispered to herself, as Levi now fell asleep, his soft breaths confirming it for her. Trying her best not to make further noise, she stood up from the edge of the bed, spotting a few documents she was familiar with._

_"Wasn't this file needed for tomorrow?" She asked herself, before sitting in front of his desk and starting to work on it._

_A few hours later, she heard the sounds of sheets being ruffled by movements and faint groans. She turned her head to see Levi moving in his sleep._

_"_ _Levi?"_

_His face scrunched up as soft whines escaped from him, pain evident in his face. He spoke names that came out as incoherent mumbles, and his hands tightly grasped onto the bedsheets._

_Oh no._

_(Y/n) wouldn't allow this to go on. Approaching him, she_ _placed her hand on his shoulder and gently_ _shook him, not wanting to surprise him too much, but it seems a stronger force was necessary._

_"Levi, wake up. Levi, it's a nightmare," She slightly raised her voice, and nearly fell backward when Levi abruptly sat up with a loud gasp, breathing heavily._

_Levi frantically looked around the dim room, his arms reaching out as if trying to find something to hold onto. (Y/n) sat down on the bed and cautiously touched his hands first, not wanting to scare him. When it seemed that Levi acknowledges her touch, she interlaced her fingers to his._

_"Hey, you're okay," She whispered._

_"(_ _Y-Y_ _/n)..."_

_Pulling him close, she wrapped her arm across his back and his nape, fingers digging through his black hair. Levi grabbed onto her, his head against her chest, hearing her rhythmic heartbeats and using it to ground himself to reality._

_That damned dream felt so real. So, so real. Every time he'd try to close his eyes it would freshly play in his head, so he stared off into the wall. (Y/n)_ _ran her hand through his hair to soothe him, while her other hand rubbed up-and-down motions on his back._

_'So even Humanity's Strongest gets nightmares, huh,' She thought, reassuring Levi he's fine now, and she'd be there for him._

_Soon after, Levi felt the tension leave his body, relaxing into (Y/n)'s arms. He was actually grateful for her to persuade him to help him sleep tonight._ _"Do you wanna talk about it?" She hesitantly asked, Levi just tightening his hold on her, whispering "No."_

_"That's fine, I understand," She replied, leaning against the headboard to fully support Levi's weight against her. "You're okay, you're safe. I'm here."_

_He released a long sigh, fully leaning his weight against her body now. Her body warmth felt so good against his cold skin, feeling disgusted at the sweat on his forehead but couldn't care less for now._

_His eyes fluttered as he tried to stay awake, but the more (Y/n) soothed him, the heavier it became. She sensed his mental struggle and patted his back. "It's okay now, Levi. I'm here. I won't let you get another nightmare."_

_**For tonight, at least.** _

_He inhaled her scent, the clean fragrance she gave off relaxing him further, and now, he felt sleep inviting him once more. Although this time, it doesn't scare him anymore._

_"_ _Ne_ _, Captain,"_ _(Y/n) whispered. "Supposedly we live in a peaceful world without titans, or if we beat them all someday, what would you want to do?"_

_She couldn't tell if Levi actually fell asleep or decided to ignore her, but when she was just about to answer her own question, Levi spoke up softly._

_"A tea shop,"_ _He answered. "I'd open up....a tea shop."_

_"Wow, really?" She felt happiness bubble up inside of her. "Then I will be your first customer!"_

Oh, he'd look so dashing while making tea. But she probably won't get to see it.

Because here he was now. 

Dying.

Because of these stupid titans.

Enraged, she tightly gripped her swords and launched her hooks on the nearest titan's arm, flying close to it and deeply embedding her blades on its nape. Another ran over to her with its arms reaching out, and she jumped on top of it, running towards its back.

"DIE YOU STUPID MONSTERS!" She sliced the nape with an angry force, then retracted her grappling hooks and launched herself into the air, slaughtering the titans with her anger.

How dare they.

How dare they hurt Levi!

"I WILL KILL EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU!" She yelled.

One by one, the titans fell down into the ground, immediately emitting off steam.

(Y/n) jumped back down on the earth as she stared at her work, panting. Her long hair which she kept in a bun was now undone, the hair tie was probably lost somewhere. Faint sounds of cables and slices reached to her ears. The ground would shake as another slicing sound goes off, presuming the scouts will be victorious this time. However, she remembered about her captain, running back to Levi's side and cradled him once more, kneeling down to settle his body. Tearing out a piece of cloth from her undershirt, she pressed it down on the wound on his neck, and Levi let out a hiss.

Assessing his other injuries, she gasped at how severe the damages in his body were, the worst being a large open wound on his stomach, revealing his innards.

"Levi..." She trailed off, then pulled up her cape to cover his body more. The battlefield's air could infect it. He coughed, blood soon trickling down the side of his mouth.

"It... It's no use-"

"Keep your damned mouth shut!" She cut him off and inhaled deeply. "I'll call for help, so stay still and wait!"

Digging out a yellow-colored flare gun, she set it off and took out another. More soon blasted off, its loud blast ringing off (Y/n)'s ears.

"That's all of it," She huffed, then focused on keeping Levi stable. "Stay put, and stay awake as you do. Don't talk, you'll waste your strength."

"Get a good...grip and look at...me," Levi said in between groans of pain."I'm beyond saving."

"I said don't talk, dammit!" She demanded, which sounded more like a plea when her voice cracked with the emotion she tried to conceal. "Just...stop talking, please. Help will come."

"If you stay...any longer here, you'll get eaten sooner or later," He argued and tried to shove her away from him, but he barely had the energy to do so. "Leave me.....here, (Y/n). That's...a-an order!"

"I refuse. Please stop it," (Y/n) pleaded, securing her grip onto him. "I'm not leaving you here no matter what. I promise I won't let you die."

"Y-You stupid brat..." Levi hissed in pain, resisting the strong urge to cough again. It tickled his throat so bad, and his voice came out raspy. "Stop wasting...your energy...on an obvious corpse like me."

He stared at her as she whipped her head sideways, looking for others who could assist her. The light from the burning trees made her eyes seem to sparkle as tears seem to build up. But she would blink it all away, she wouldn't let them fall.

Her red, silky hair swayed with the cool night breeze, and titan blood that splattered on her face steamed off, revealing her fair skin.

This had to be the second time he got a good look at her.

_That day, Levi_ _woke up before the sun was yet to rise, just realizing that_ _he was alone in his bed despite remembering what happened last night._

_Speaking of which, (Y/n) was asleep at his table, crossed arms as her makeshift pillow and her face towards his. He concluded that she must've moved when he was in deep slumber and let him lay down properly in bed. The window was wide open, and he wondered how the hell she slept comfortably without a blanket to keep her warm._

_Levi rubbed his eyes and slowly sat up in a daze, his gaze right at her. She was sleeping so soundly and her mouth curled up in a cute little smile. Half of him wanted to wake her up and get her to leave before anyone else could see her come out of his room-_

_And the other half wanted to stare at her forever._

_Being with her gave him a newfound feeling of comfort, one that he rarely felt, one that he secretly yearned for._

_Suddenly, she stirred, and soon she slowly opened her eyes, theirs meeting._

_"Oh, good morning Captain," She sleepily greeted._

_When she straightened herself up, the sun rose, its golden rays hitting her directly, matched with a morning breeze blowing inside the room from the window, making the curtains flutter and her red hair dance up._

_"Did you sleep well?" She asked with a smile._

_Levi was stunned at how she looked so ethereal at that moment_ _, a faint blush appearing on his cheeks._

_How could someone be so lovely?_

_"Captain?"_

_He snapped out of his gaze and sheepishly rubbed his nape. "_ _Y-Yeah_ _I did. T-Thank you."_

_(Y/n) giggled proudly. "See? Told ya it'll work."_

_He then frowned and commanded. "Now get out of here before someone could see you. I-It's still pretty early so...no one should be awake yet."_

_"Okay," She immediately obliged, standing up and heading for the door. "See ya later then!"_

_Gently closing the door shut, she looked both ways and saw that the corridor was still empty. So she quickly walked towards her room which was just a few steps away, but she was greeted by_ _Hange's_ _smug face_ _, who was standing by her doorway._

_"I see-"_

_"N-NO WAIT, NOTHING HAPPENED HANGE-SAN!"_

Levi hated to admit it, but he'd love to experience that time again.

"(Y-Y/n), listen...to me.." Levi said in between groans. "Get your ass... out of..here and leave me."

(Y/n) ignored him, focusing on trying to stop the bleeding.

"I never thought I'd meet my end like this, with humanity still trapped... behind the walls that..kept them safe-imprisoned by titans," He added in a sarcastic tone. "Ah...I guess...I couldn't open up that...tea shop I wanted to have-"

"You can, Levi, you can and you will!" She cut him off, grabbing his hand and squeezing it to keep him awake. "Remember? I said I would assist you in establishing that! I said I would be your first customer! So please!"

She gripped his hands and declared. "Don't die!"

_Levi was on his way to the dining room for breakfast when he felt a presence getting closer to him._

_"Levi!" (Y/n) appeared, her hair undone as it fell to her shoulders. "Good morning."_

_"G-Good morning," He straightened himself. "You seem quite quirky for someone who hadn't had breakfast yet."_

_"_ _Hehee_ _... It's because you finally got some well-needed sleep!"_

_"I appreciate the sympathy, but I don't need you butting into my personal issues all the time," He said coldly, to which she just sighed, walking alongside him._

_"Aw, come on. Don't be so stingy," She smirked. "I know you like it."_

_"I don't," He deadpanned._

_"Liar," She grinned, before hastening her pace and walking ahead._ _"Let's hurry before the others eat up all the food. I heard we're having stew for breakfast! Today must be—"_

_"(Y/n)..." She stopped and turned around, Levi standing away from her. She hummed in reply as the corners of his lips raised into a small smile, and (Y/n) could feel her chest lighten._

_"It wasn't that...bad,"_ _He admitted, turning his gaze away when he saw her expression. "I...never had a good night's sleep until_ _now. So, w-would_ _you do that to me again?" He managed to ask._

_Levi felt so silly, and he even sounded silly with his slight stammer. He was ready to hear (Y/n) laugh. To hear her brag about her suggestion being effective to him, disproving his insults to her last night. To hear her tease him._

_But no, (Y/n) did none of that. Her eyes sparkled with delight as she beamed at him, "As many times as you want! If it would help you rest well, I am more than willing to!"_

_Levi didn't expect such an enthusiastic response. For his request to be validated when the others would surely not, expecting those kinds of gestures to be out of bounds for 'Humanity's Strongest_ _Soldier'_ _._

_When he parted his lips, about to thank her, loud footsteps caught their attention, behind them was a soldier saluting while catching his breath._

_"Captain, Vice-captain, the Commander requests your presence at once! He said there's an urgent discussion regarding an expedition outside the walls tonight," He informed._

_(Y/n) was taken aback. "Tonight? Wait, isn't that a bit—"_

_Levi tugged her arm to cut her off. "Let's go. There's no use complaining."_

_"But_ _Levi-_ _" He pulled her along, ignoring her rebellious mumbles. Eventually, she sighed and walked properly alongside him._

_"Geez, we didn't even have breakfast yet," She huffed._

_Deep inside, Levi was also surprised at the sudden decision to initiate an expedition, though most of his thoughts wandered off to the thought of having (Y/n) help him sleep again._

_Oh, to finally relax and get a good night's sleep without those haunting nightmares while laying down on a_ _comfy_ _bed, which the_ hard ground underneath his limp body is the exact opposite.

Levi let out a painful gasp for air and squinted his eyes as he stared at (Y/n), who looked worried and anxious over his state.

She gently wiped the blood off his face, and that was when she got a good look at his eyes-

Levi's eyes were clouded over.

_No way, is he...?_

"SOMEONE HELP US, PLEASE!" She continued to yell, panic bubbling inside her. "ANYONE! HELP!"

The Titans were already taken care of, yet she couldn't make out a figure. The stench of evaporating titan corpses stung her nose, but she took deep breaths to boost her volume.

_There has to be at least one!_

"HANGE-SAN! MICHE! COMMANDER! ELD! PETRA! ORUO! GUNTHER!" She started calling out names. "ANYONE!!!"

Levi flinched at how loud her yells were. There was an insanely loud ringing in his ear, and her screams thundered against his eardrums.

"Y-You're so noisy..." Levi tried to open his eyes, but it was too bright.

Wait, bright light? Wasn't it the middle of the night?

He soon felt soft, prickling sensations of grass on his skin, and heard a young girl's laugh from afar.

Warm sunlight drenched his whole body, and it felt so good.

So peaceful.

"Ah, there you are!" The girl's voice called.

His vision was blurry, yet he could make out a figure running over to him.

"I've been looking all over for you, Aniki!" She said with a grin.

He still couldn't focus his vision, yet he could tell who it was. That familiar hair color, how he used to play his fingers with it.

Yet, it wasn't in her usual pigtails. Now, it fell past her shoulders and swayed with the wind as she knelt down beside him.

Levi let out a soft click with his tongue, that caught (Y/n)'s attention back to Levi.

And the next thing she heard from him caught her off-guard.

"Isabel... When did your hair grow...so long?"

(Y/n)'s eyes widened. She knew damn well who Isabel was.

Levi weakly raised his one good arm to touch her hair, and (Y/n) took it to guide him. Tears were forming in her eyes, but she tried not to let them fall. Taking in a deep breath, she opened her mouth to reply.

"I....Do you like it?" She suddenly blurted out instead.

_What's wrong with me? Why did I say that?_

"Y-Yeah but...It might get tangled when...you use the gear," Levi replied with a scolding tone.

"I'll cut it if you like," She replied further, a small chuckle escaping from her lips as she remembered Levi scolding her about keeping such a length that could pose dangers at the battle, but she won by promising him to tie it up in a tight bun during expeditions.

_Why am I going along?_

"W-Where's Farlan?"

_Stop it. Stop acting like you're-_

"He's...He's waiting for you, Levi," She held back a sob. The situation was already too overwhelming for her to stop her tears, and now they've been falling down her soiled cheeks, dropping onto Levi's face to which she shakily wiped off with her thumb.

"I see... I'll be there soon," He replied.

She didn't know if he was hallucinating into being in a different place, or he was saying his farewells in this world.

Either way, he's dying. It's too obvious now.

"Wait, Levi...D-Don't go," She whispered.

Levi weakly chuckled. "S-Since when did you stopped calling me...Aniki?"

_Tell him, quick!_

"Y-You need to rest, he can wait. Stay here, stay with...me," She added, ignoring what he just said.

 _Tell him before it's_ -

Levi suddenly coughed out blood, and his face creased in immense pain. His skin was getting paler by the minute, and as much as (Y/n) don't want it, it was-

_\- too late._

She gently caressed his face. His blood stained her hands red, and his breathing was getting labored and weaker.

"A-Alright, I'll stay here...for a while," Levi replied, and she could feel him relax in her hold.

"I'll be here, don't worry," (Y/n) smiled warmly amidst the sharp pain in her chest. She looked up at the dark sky, scattered stars sparkling. "Good night, Levi."

_This is it. He's really gonna die, right here, right now._

_God please, I'd trade anything else for you to give us help._

"Th-Thank you, (Y/n)."

_**And goodbye.** _

Hearing her name made her look back down in an instant, and she gasped. Levi Ackerman smiled.

In front of death's door, Levi Ackerman showed his first full smile.

And it shouldn't be supposed to be his first _and_ last.

Levi's hand dropped lifelessly from his hold on (Y/n)'s hair, all warmth from his body soon seeping off him.

_In the end, I couldn't tell him._

_I couldn't tell him how I love him._

(Y/n) forced a smile amidst the sharp pain and the strong urge to break down, as she brushed his stray bangs aside, bending down to his forehead and planting a kiss.

"Sleep well...my love."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


"Levi~! Wake up," Levi felt someone shaking him awake. He sleepily raised an arm to swat the person away.

"You're such a heavy sleeper, as always!" He still felt his body being shaken, until he huffed and gave in, slowly opening his eyes.

Farlan was kneeling in front of him, an annoyed expression in his face. "You've been sleeping since you got here!"

"Here...?" Levi looked around, he was at a vast meadow, the clear blue sky above him. Beside him was Isabel, who was also just about to fully wake up.

"Where are we?" Levi asked.

"In a place with no more pain, where we can be happy forever," Farlan replied with a smile, standing up and offering both his hands to help the two up on their feet. "You've fought well, Levi."

"Aniki!" Isabel wrapped her hands around his waist. "We've been waiting patiently for you, but now that you're here, we're finally together again!"

"So it seems," Levi chuckled, ruffling Isabel's hair, then he noticed its length was just the way it was; short and tied into two pigtails. Didn't he just see her with longer hair a while ago-

"Let's go, Aniki!" Isabel shook him off her thoughts, as she excitedly pulled him along towards the end of the meadow. Farlan jogged along, and that's when Levi felt so...free.

"Race you to the end!" He suddenly bolted off with a laugh, shocking the two.

"Tha-That's not fair! Oi Levi!"

"Aniki!"

•|•

A freshly made tombstone that stood out from the rest with its size was erected on the wide, grass field with flower bouquets placed in front of it.

Vice-Captain (Y/n) (L/n) placed a bouquet of fresh white roses on top of the other flowers, then stepped back to pay respects. Her eyes were half-lidded, her long red hair now trimmed up to the level of her jaw, and it actually suited her more than it being longer. She raised her head and forced a small smile as she silently read what was engraved in the stone.

**HERE LIES HUMANITY'S STRONGEST SOLDIER, WHO PROTECTED THE WALLS TO THE VERY END.**

She felt the presence of a soldier walking towards her, and she could feel his hesitation to approach her.

"You're not interrupting anything," She said gently.

"Captain (Y/n), the Commander requests your presence as soon as possible," The soldier informed.

"Thank you, I'll head over to him immediately," She replied, gently touching the tombstone before flashing a warm smile, her attention then shifting to birds loudly chirping as they flew freely in the blue sky.


End file.
